The 76ers might have to go
without Michael Carter-Williams Friday at Charlotte.

The rookie point guard did not
practice Thursday, and has not tried running on since Tuesday against Orlando.
He’s receiving treatment on a swollen right knee that he incurred Sunday at
Detroit. Carter-Williams’ knee was wrapped in what resembled a form-fitting
sleeve.

The knee is swollen and pain
has diminished, he said.

“It’s day-to-day. I’ll be down
in Charlotte, seeing how I feel at shootaround,” Carter-Williams said after
practice. “If I’m feeling good, I’ll give it a go.”

Sixers coach Brett Brown wasn’t
as upbeat about it.

“I’m not optimistic,” Brown
said. “He may (play), but I don’t believe he will.”

The Sixers have gone 1-3 in
games in which Carter-Williams has not played. The 21-year-old missed four
games in November with a bruise of the arch on his left foot.

If left to his devices, Brown
guessed that Carter-Williams would play. But Brown indicated it might be in his
best interests to sit this one out.

“It’s out there, the
importance of playing through pain, the importance of reputation with your
teammates that there’s a toughness and a resilience that you’ll get through
things,” Brown said. “And then (playing with an injury) falls into it’s just
not smart. It’s always a fine line. Ultimately it comes down to medical people.
Michael is all in. Michael is good to go. He’s been advised that we have to be
really cautious. He understands that. So do I.

“It surprised me during
(Tuesday’s) overtime, when he took off his knee brace. I looked down and I
actually saw his knee. It’s maroon, it’s swollen. If you put your hand on it,
it was warm because of the swelling. Maybe an infection. When you actually see
it, it’s going to be something where we’re smart with him. Today, I’m happy
with two things – his toughness and the medical staff’s intellect on (how) he
should not go. That might be the case (Friday).”

The Sixers’ odds to win at
Charlotte will undoubtedly take a hit without Carter-Williams in the lineup.
They have lost seven in a row away from Wells Fargo Center, going since Nov. 1
at Washington without a road victory.

“I think the biggest
difference is when you’re home, you’ve got your home crowd,” Carter-Williams
said. “When you’re away, at the start of the game, it’s tough to come back from
a little adversity. The crowd gets into it, the team gets pretty hyped up. It’s
just dealing with that adversity when (you’re) away.”